Maple Methodist Preschool

Maple Methodist Preschool is a preschool in Downers Grove, Illinois. It serves two, three, and four-year-old children, preparing them for kindergarten and elementary school through a play-based curriculum. The school has been nurturing children and preparing them for kindergarten for over 55 years. Its program includes a Friday morning class for two-year-olds, a four-week summer camp, and, added in 2024-2025, a Monday extension day for the PreK class. In 2026-2027, classes will lengthen by 30 minutes each day and the two-year-old program will add a second day. Classes start Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and registration for the 2026-2027 school year is open.

The preschool, previously known as First United Methodist Preschool, focuses on the whole child, encouraging exploration, creativity, and discovery. Its philosophy holds that childhood is sacred and should be preserved, and that children's brains develop through active, self-directed, hands-on play. Classrooms are designed to foster curiosity and creativity through exploratory play, and children are honored as unique individuals growing in their own way and time. The program helps children build self-confidence through interaction with others, develop a positive attitude toward learning by presenting tasks they can enjoy and master, and learn to respect the rights and views of others while making decisions for themselves.

Families are offered time-tested thematic centers that change each week, volunteer opportunities in the classroom, a drop-off and pick-up line, a weekly newsletter with insight into and pictures of classroom learning, a private playground reserved for Maple Methodist preschoolers, a Nativity Play, family events designed to build community, and ample time spent outdoors. Nancy Bifulco serves as director and teaches the 2's and PreK classes; she is in her tenth year as director, taught in the PreK class before becoming director, and is a graduate of the program. She holds degrees in Elementary Education and Accounting. Tours of the classrooms can be arranged by contacting Nancy Bifulco, and virtual tours of the 3/4 and PreK classrooms are available.

The preschool sits on Maple Avenue in Downers Grove, a short walk from Main Street. Constitution Park and Fishel Park are each about a tenth of a mile away, and the Downers Grove Public Library is roughly 0.2 miles from the school.

Maple Methodist Preschool holds a positive rating from the customers who have reviewed it. With more than five decades of play-based early childhood education behind it, the preschool remains a long-standing part of Downers Grove's early learning landscape.